B cells in perivascular and peribronchiolar granuloma-associated lymphoid tissue and B-cell signatures identify asymptomatic lung infection in Diversity Outbred mice.

Because most humans resist infection, there is a paucity of lung samples to study. To address this gap, we infected Diversity Outbred mice with and studied the lungs of mice in different disease states. After a low-dose aerosol infection, progressors succumbed to acute, inflammatory lung disease within 60 days, while controllers maintained asymptomatic infection for at least 60 days, and then developed chronic pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) lasting months to more than 1 year.

Systems genetics uncover new loci containing functional gene candidates in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected Diversity Outbred mice.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects two billion people across the globe, and results in 8-9 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases and 1-1.5 million deaths each year. Most patients have no known genetic basis that predisposes them to disease.